The body of Saylor Hayes, a nonverbal 5-year-old girl, was found dead in a South Carolina waterway. She had wandered from her family’s vacation rental home in Pawleys Island on Sunday while wearing a light blue bathing suit.
Police stated that South Carolina Department of Natural Resources agents found her in the water near the location of her last sighting. The discovery came after an extensive search effort that lasted into the early hours of Monday.
The Search Effort
The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office announced the finding at around 9:45 a.m. following “an intensive search involving hundreds of people and multiple agencies.” Volunteers from across the region joined local crews to look for the little girl.
On Sunday, Crystal Cooper drove about 80 miles from her home in Peedee to help with the search. “I just got so emotionally invested in it yesterday Sunday because this little girl needed us and my momma heart was in it,” she told WMBF News, according to the New York Post.
Neighbors tried many creative ways to lure Saylor out, including walking pets and bringing an ice cream truck to play music. Ronald Gagliardi, a resident who searched past 2 a.m., said the news was devastating but at least she was recovered.
Search teams used drones, K-9 units, and divers to scan the waterways near the rental home in Hagley Estates. They also deployed Project Lifesaver equipment from land and by helicopter to pick up a signal from the tracking device on her ankle.
Community Grief and Condolences
The loss has left the entire area heartbroken as families try to process what happened to such a young child. Another resident noted the deep sadness of the moment, saying, “It’s just — it’s just heartbreaking, like really heartbreaking.”
The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office released a statement to honor those who helped and to comfort the grieving family. “The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office thanks everyone who assisted in the search and sends its deepest condolences to the young girl’s family,” they said.
Saylor, who is from Virginia, had a pink and white lanyard around her ankle with a tracking device attached when she disappeared. Her family and the community are now left to mourn a tragedy that could have been prevented.
